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AMAZONIAN PERU

Iquitos and its Jungle Lodges

Birdquest's Amazonian Peru birding tour explores some classic South American birdwatching locations. This exciting tour focuses on the many species found in the northern part of the Peruvian Amazon, followed by a completely different set of birds in the High Andes of Peru, at extraordinary Machupicchu and along the bird-rich Peruvian coastline.

Saturday 1st November - Saturday 15th November 2014
(15 days)

Machupicchu & Andes Extension to Saturday 22nd November (7 days)

Leader: Pete Morris

Group Size Limit: 8

Tour Category: Easy to Moderate

The incredibly diverse birdlife of the Iquitos area includes widespread species such as this Yellow-billed Jacamar along with a superb selection of avian specialities difficult to find elsewhere (Pete Morris)

Over millions of years in the Amazonian rainforest of the Iquitos region the process of evolution has progressed in response to climate change, the rise of the Andes, and the birth of the Amazon river with its multitude of tributaries. The result is an incredible array of habitats and soil types, each with a specialized flora and fauna. Modern research has proven that unique species are restricted to the more rare and distinctive of these Amazonian habitats. Overlooked by early 19th century ornithologists, interest in such fragile and unique ecosystems has occurred only recently with the discovery of several bird species new to science from the white sandy soil forests of Iquitos.

These discoveries are just a few examples of the incredibly high biodiversity of the Iquitos region. Its broad position at the shared boundary of the three major biogeographic centre of the South American continent are the cause for world records in numbers of reptiles, amphibians and tree species. With over 600 species of birds recorded from the surroundings of the city of Iquitos, this part of western Amazonia is known to be one of the richest areas for birds in the entire vast Amazonian basin.

Founded during the rubber and timber boom of the 19th century, this remote Amazonian city is surrounded by the Amazon, Itaya and Nanay rivers. It still has no road connections to the outside world, so access is by air and river only. This is one of the few places on our planet that we visit where roads are virtually non-existent!

Leaving the city far behind, five rainforest lodges will serve as our base for exploration of this diverse environment, the original Explorama Lodge, Explornapo Lodge, the Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS) adjacent to the canopy walkway, Cumaceba Lodge and finally Muyuna Lodge. From carefully designed trails leading away from the lodges we shall seek some of the Amazon basin’s most exciting birds and mammals. Amongst the myriad of possibilities, specialities of the area possible on the tour include the legendary Nocturnal Curassow, Wattled Curassow, Black-faced Hawk, Pavonine Quetzal, the spectacular Black-necked Red-Cotinga, Red-billed Ground-Cuckoo (very rare), Undulated Antshrike, Reddish-winged Bare-eye, Chestnut-belted Gnateater, Band-tailed Oropendola and a rich variety of river island specialists including Zimmer’s Woodcreeper.

Two major rivers, the Ucayali and Maranon meet to form the majestic Amazon River not far from Iquitos, creating a complex mosaic of riverine habitats. Different-sized islands with vegetation in various stages of succession each host a slightly different avifauna wholly specialized and isolated from the mainland. Starting at Explorama, we will visit an older island for several island specialists as well as Amazonian Umbrellabird and Festive Parrot whilst the lodge’s surrounding floodplain forest has the recently described Orange-eyed Flycatcher and noisy Short-tailed Parrots.

Moving to ACTS, the incredible canopy walkway, the only one of its kind in the New World tropics, is one of the major attractions and highlights. This aerial bridge links twelve giant trees, stretching five hundred metres (one-third of a mile) through the rainforest canopy. Many of the birds show no fear of the unexpected company of human visitors 35 metres (115 feet) up in the canopy, allowing unparalleled views of mixed flocks with trogons, barbets, puffbirds and tanagers!

From the terra firma forests surrounding ACTS we will move to the nearby Explornapo Lodge where we will have easy access to several distinct island and varzea habitats. The lodge is surrounded by upper floodplain forest with Spotted Puffbird and Black-necked Red Cotinga possible just beyond the lodge clearing.

Our next lodge, Cumaceba, features rich varzea, home to the near-endemic Black-tailed Antbird as well as Hoatzin, Rufous-sided Crake, Dot-backed Antbird, Johannes’s Pygmy-Tyrant and delightful Pygmy Marmosets.

To complete our set of Amazonian lodges, we will visit Muyuna Lodge, where we have a very good chance at seeing Wattled Curassow, an endangered bird known from only a few sites in South America. The second ‘mega’ curassow we hope to see during our travels!

The finale of this exciting tour will take place in the newly created Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve. Protecting the largest concentration of white sand forest so far known in Peruvian Amazonia, newly discovered birds such as Ancient Antwren, Allpahuayo Antbird, Mishana Tyrannulet and Iquitos Gnatcatcher are easily accessible from our comfortable hotel in Iquitos.

Almost everyone harbours longings to see the magnificent scenery of the high Andes and, of course, Machupicchu, the evocative ruined city of the Incas. The optional extension will show you both these things and much more. With over 1800 species of 88 families recorded in the country to date, Peru has the richest avifauna in the world and offers some of the most exciting birding in South America. After hot and steamy Amazonia, the cool, bird-rich cloudforests, lakes, puna grasslands and snow-capped Andean peaks will come as a total and refreshing contrast.

During our travels in the highlands we will visit the Cuzco region on the eastern edge of the Andes, including the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas, the spectacular Abra Malaga pass and the eyrie-like ruins of Machupicchu. We will see a superb selection of birds amidst some spectacular scenery, including a superb collection of endemic and restricted range species that will likely be new even for veterans of Neotropical birding. Finally, to round off our adventure, we will visit the Pacific coast with its penguins, boobies, pelicans, cormorants and extraordinary Inca Terns.

Birdquest has operated tours to Peru since 1982.

(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels in Lima and Iquitos, and Cumaceba and Muyuna Lodges are of normal Birdquest standard. The Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies and Explornapo are simple but comfortable jungle lodges with excellent food and attentive staff. Bathroom facilities at these two lodges are shared with latrine type toilets which are all kept very clean. All lodges lack electricity and lighting is by kerosene lanterns. Showers lack hot water but the water is not cold and feels refreshing after a day in the rainforest. We hardly travel on roads on the main tour, but where we do use roads the transport is by small coach or minibus and the roads are mostly good.

Walking: The walking effort is easy or moderate.

Climate: Most days in the Iquitos region will be rather warm and humid, with a mixture of sunshine and overcast conditions. At least some rain should be expected, from brief showers to sometimes extended periods of heavy rain. In the Cuzco region conditions range from warm to decidedly cold at the highest altitudes. It may rain at times (or even snow at the highest altitudes).

Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.

Tour Price: (provisional): $5010 Lima/Lima. Post-Tour Extension: $2580. Price includes all transportation (including all flights inside Peru), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $612. Post-Tour Extension: $363.

Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

Golden-collared Toucanet is one of the many avian rainforest wonders we will hope to lure into view (Pete Morris)

The Rio Urubamba below Machu Picchu is surely one of the best places in the Andes to watch Torrent Ducks (Pete Morris)

Silvered Antbird is just one of the many antbirds we can expect to find in the Iquitos area (Pete Morris)

View Map Download Detailed Itinerary 733kb

Report From November 2008 Report From November 2009/December 2009 12 photos View Gallery Photos From AMAZONIAN PERU

The Sunbittern is a monotypic family; a relict species whose closest relative is the Kagu of New Caledonia (Pete Morris)

The social nesting Hoatzin is also an evolutionary wonder with its enlarged foregut able to microbially digest plant cellulose; they are especially numerous at Cumaceba Lodge (Pete Morris)

Laughing Falcons have an incredibly loud voice that carries over long distances (Pete Morris)

Our birding in the coastal desert habitats should turn up a Burrowing Owl (Pete Morris)

The Rio Urubamba below Machu Picchu usually holds the stately Fasciated Tiger-Heron (Pete Morris)

One of the most common hummingbirds in the Machu Picchu area is the Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Pete Morris)

Our mountain hotel in the Sacred Valley usually has a resident Giant Hummingbird (Pete Morris)

Sparkling Violetear is a common hummer in gardens and farmland (Pete Morris)

Coppery-naped Puffleg is one of the many Andean east-slope specialities we shall seek at Abra Malaga (Pete Morris)

In the Machu Picchu area we will look for the impressive Golden-headed Quetzal (Pete Morris)

…and fruiting trees may attract Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Pete Morris)

This Stripe-headed Antpitta is one of the birds we can expect to see in the high elevation puna zone of Abra Malaga (Pete Morris)

The White-browed Purpletuft is a diminutive cotinga often seen from the ACTS canopy walkway (Pete Morris)

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